Well, what a day I am having... For about a month now the toes on my left foot have been going numb. Not too bad at first, but it was getting worse. Then the pad started feeling numb. When I got up today I went to rub my leg and couldn't feel it very well. I then noticed that the entire shin on my left leg was numb... Scary to say the least.

Here's my question..should I try to go see my Dr. before my next appt.? I am supposed to go on March 4th. But if it got this bad this quick should I worry about it getting even worse? So far it isn't affecting my ability to walk, but could it?

He has me taking Lyrica for nerve pain, but I don't see any improvement. And I also noticed that I was having strange pains in that leg...enough to wake me up. Kinda like an electrical pain in the back of the leg...Almost like I'm not getting enough blood circulation??? Does that make sense?

I'm not sure what to do....

Me.

We are all in the same boat...unfortunatley it seems like it's sinking...

Me,I'd suggest calling your doctor's office and telling them your symptoms, especially how fast they're progressing. The only other option would be to go to the E.R. Definitely watch your activity and movement in the meantime, though. You've already been through a lot of surgeries so you know the drill about that. I notice you have lyrica listed "as needed". I thought it was something to be taking daily. I take neurontin daily for the numbness in my feet. I am trying to make peace with the fact it's not going to get any better.

Hi RhondaMy daughter retained water and her upper legs hurt extremely bad while she was on Lyrica-after the doc gave her lasix for water retention she lost 15 lbs the first week, but the leg pain didn't go away-doc took her off lyrica her leg pain went away. Might call your doc and see if you can stop taking or at least cut the Lyrica back to see if that helps, or at least insist on him seeing you before your scheduled appt. You are alot like my daughter, worried that you will complain too much- I hate it that chronic pain patients have been through so much that they don't feel like they deserve to do or act like a normal person would. Guess what, if I had the symptons that you have I'd be in the doctor's office tomorrow morning! I really understand your hesitation though-but you really need to do something soon. Please do!My daughter has been in chronic pain for seven yrs after a work related injury that caused neuropathy pain in her thoracic vertebrae area. She has tried physical therapy, she has had 3 failed neural stimulators surgeries 2 which were implanted directly into her spine, morphine pain pump that was infected during implant -caused her to go septic and needed to be remove-took a year to heal.On Bipap w/ oyxgen. Doc has tried neurotin, lyrica, hydrocondone,methadone, percocet, etc. all with serious side effects, now on MS Contin 30mg 4x daily for pain and morphine 15mg for break through pain and proxac 40mg for depression, worker's comp wants her to try Suboxone-been through too much,not sure it won't cause severe adverse reactions and pain doc doesn't think it is a good idea. Tired of fighting it all. Momcares.

Thanks for all of the support...PALady: 0 you always have the best advice....even though you are going through a rough time yourself...I appreciate that sooo much. I am supposed to take 150 mg. of Lyrica 3 x a day...but I just can't do it. It makes me feel so funky the next day... so I take it whenever I feel that I need it.

The last surgery I had was lumbar fusion for spinal stenosis. Whenever I try to relax my back or take a deep breath I feel the bones shifting and cracking...kinda like when I used to "crack" my back in school. They didn't use any hardware, just my own bone material from the surgery...I guess I was lucky.

Momcares, wow!!! your daughter has been through the ringer. I know that family members have a rough time when caring for someone with chronic pain, so thank you for taking the time to talk to me about my problems. Does her current meds help with the pain at all?

I think I will call my Dr. in the am...see what he thinks. The only problem is I don't have insurance..I have an appt. on Thursday to get it so I may have to wait on the Dr. until I get it. That way they can do whatever they want to me and I won't have ot worry about $$$$.... That sucks,, you have to worry about $$ to get care..

Me.

We are all in the same boat...unfortunatley it seems like it's sinking...

Rhonda. you are describing what I have also dealt with for some time. I agree with PAlady, (doesn't she have good insight) that you need to call your Dr and see about getting in earlier. I was also on Lyrica and it did not do much for me. I know it has help many deall with such issues though. I still live with that numbness daily. I have resorted to using a cane as the weakness in the leg causes me to be unstable at times. Please let us know what the outcome of calling your Dr. is. Also, after you get in I would be interested in knowing what they decide and if tthey make changes to your meds. I have plenty of hardware in my back and my wife and daughter get grossed out with all the cracking. I wish tthey could arrange the tone of the cracking so it would play a song. Just letting my warped sense of humor out a little. Be blessed.

Me - When I started on neurontin (kind of the older version of lyrica) I had to start very slowly. My doctor wanted me to get up to 300mg/ 3X a day within a week! I woulda been a zombie. This was also when I was working more. So I started very slowly, and made him give me the 100mg tablets to ease up, and get my body used to it. Your body does get used to some of it, and some of the side effects (I had some blurred vision the first couple of weeks, but it went away) may go away or decrease in time. However, I do know the neurontin is what makes me sluggish, yet whenevver I think I can go without I am reminded of how much it helps when I'm even late on a dose. So I know I can't.

I've tried lyrica a couple of times but doctors often don't know how to dose it because it's relatively new. Often people are started at 75mg one or twice a day, and then increased. 300-600mg a day is the therapeutic dosing range, I think, if I remember correctly. You may want to go to the main website for lyrica and do a little reading. Taking it prn may mean you never give your body a chance to get used to it. On the other hand it may not be helping. No medication helps everyone. And maybe you need to start on a smaller dose. My neurontin dose doesn't cover all my symptoms, but it helps. My neurologist wants me to go higher, but then I couldn't function. It's such a balancing act, isn't it?

Rhonda I did that very same thing many years ago and the ortho said it was nerve root irritation. He put me on anti-inflams and something else. Its been so dang log ago I can't remember. At least with me thats what was going on. Is best to see your dr and let him decide. PA is right about the Lyrica, you have to take it every day not just here & there. You are wasting your money buying if you can't take it every day. Like PA said you may just need to start over at a lower dose and gradually increase it. Hugs, Susie

I know it is hard without insurance to try and triage yourself, but I think I would call your doctor's office and run it by the them on the phone. I have neuropathy and have numbness and tingling in my feet. I did not come on suddenly, but over time. WIth so much going on with your back, you sure don't want to risk a pinched nerve or blood clots. I was on Lyrica daily 600 mgs but it did little for me but make be gain weight. Cymbalta on the other hand made a noticeable difference in my pain and neuropathy.

Please keep us posted and let me know if I should the "ruby slippers" and "magic wand" for a temporary fix.

I was on Lyrica 300mg at Bedtime, my PMD, Physicians Asst...decided that was the correct dose for me to use because of the extensive nerve damage in the legs. PALady is right, this drug has to be taken as prescribed...its the newest generation of Neurontin...it builds up in your system, so taking it as needed won't work! Anyway, the PA took the dosage from 75 to 300 mg. I knew he was wrong in upping the dosage like that but trusted him as he told me he had prior fusion surgery and this would help me sleep and not cause the mental symptoms of day dosing. I should have listened to my inner voice, my husband asked me what if he was right and I might finally get some relief. So....I did it, it did work, I slept great and no memory issues etc. after about 3 weeks I started to develop swelling of my left leg....turned into lymphaedema, after 6 weeks had a severe reaction and had to taper off. The lymphaedema is permanent the rest of the symptoms did go away. From this guys stupidity I can no longer take Neurontin or Lyrica....when I was on the 75 mg. I did have slight relief and had he increased it correctly who knows.

It is expensive (I don't have Prescription coverage either) its worth a try but use it how its prescribed!

Maybe the makers of Lyrica should listen to us and redesign it to work better! would be nice eh...I tried Lyrica too and well had a throwing up party, oh what fun that was...not.....I have spinal stenosis as well, and use a cane as I get unstable from it, and I've fallen (me + falling = not a pretty picture)Call your doc and see if he can see you earlier, I so agree with all the others on that!!! so hey itsa majority, so make that call...Keep us posted and until thenLots and lots of soft hugz........p.s. United Way might be able to help with your prescriptions, they are helping people here in Texas!!********************************************** * Asthma, Allergies, Osteoarthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Degenative Disc, Fibromyalgia, Gerd, Enlarged Pituitary Gland ******** "We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world" from Helen Keller *********

Wow! It is so nice to have you guys care so much....strangers no less. My own family thinks I am "faking" most of the time...so much that I don't really tell them when things are really bad. I am going to call the Dr. today. Maybe I can at least feel better about it.

I had been on Neurontin before and not with good results...I have been on Lyrica for a while now, they took me off of it, then they put me back on it..this "jumping" to such a high dose so fast is not good for anyone..I feel so bad when I take it. When I did take it as he told me too it never got better, that's why I don't take it now.

I had hoped, after my fusion surgery, that things would get better.. but that's what I hoped after my first lamenectomy too. I was young and stupid and completely trusted the men in white coats. When they said that surgery would cure all, I really believed them, both times!!

After my fusion a few years ago I had minimal relief. Then about a year later I started having different pains and more pains shooting down my legs. Then I found out that since I'd had fusion there wasn't much else they could do. Great!

So, here I am. At least I am in good company, right? Thanks to you all, you really do make me feel better.

Me.

We are all in the same boat...unfortunatley it seems like it's sinking...

Me,Many of us have tried the surgery route, myself included. My fusion never helped, but I try to tell myself if I hadn't had it I'd always have wondered if maybe...but no more surgeries for me, unless it s a life-threatening situation.